


Sexiled

by bareselat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, quarantine causes you to regress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23523847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bareselat/pseuds/bareselat
Summary: The summer after the war, Harry finds himself an uncomfortable third wheel to Ron and Hermione's new romance.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	Sexiled

**Author's Note:**

> Happy quarantine everybody! Today I a) lost my mind and b) wrote this.

“No, really, it’s fine,” said Harry. “I’ll just go on a walk for a bit,”

“Thank you, mate,” said Ron gratefully, his ears bright red. “It’s just, y’know-“

“I’m gonna go now,” said Harry, jerking awkwardly toward the door. He left Ron’s room, lingering on the landing for a minute. He heard footsteps and soon enough Hermione was coming up the stairs.

“Hello,” she said. Harry wished for death. 

“Hi,” he said. “I’m just off for a walk,” 

“Oh, that’s nice,” she said, breathlessly. “I was going to see what Ron was -,”

“I’m going to leave now,” said Harry, starting down the stairs. Merlin, he thought, was this going to be the rest of his life? 

“Have a good walk!” she said. Harry crept down the stairs, not wanting to wake anyone. The Weasleys all knew Ron and Hermione were dating, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were definitely not aware that Hermione frequently came over after they had gone to sleep. 

His stomach clenched as he passed Ginny’s room. He hadn’t been in there since nearly a year ago, when she kissed him on his birthday. They had an awkward, cordial relationship now, all Harry’s fault, that resulted in them really only speaking to ask one another to pass the butter at dinner or squeeze past each other on the stairs. Ron pretended he didn’t see anything, and Hermione was actually too entranced with Ron to notice, which gave Harry a welcome reprieve from her asking about it. 

It was a bit cold for a walk, so Harry made himself a cup of tea and sat on the stairs in a corner where he could look out the window on the garden. The cat came and curled up next to him, and it was actually quite peaceful, sitting in the dark, listening to the cat purr next to him. 

Something kicked him. The cat yelped. 

“What the hell - who’s there?” said a voice. It was Ginny. 

“It’s me,” he replied, standing up. “Harry,” 

A wand lit up and Harry saw her face illuminated from below. 

“Any reason you’re sitting on the stairs in the dark?” she asked wryly. This was possibly the most words she had said to him in months. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” he lied, then changed his mind. “Hermione’s here,” 

“Ah,” she said. “Sexiled,” 

He winced. “Please don’t say that,” 

She grinned at him. 

A door opened above them. “Hello?” called Mrs. Weasley sleepily.

“It’s just us, Mum,” said Ginny. “Harry and I collided on the way to the loo,” 

The door creaked shut again. 

“I was gonna go fly for a bit,” she said. “Care to join?” 

“Er,” said Harry, feeling quite unsure. “I think I’ll just sit here some more, with the cat,” 

“Harry,” she whispered. “You don’t have to be afraid of me,” 

“I’m not afraid of you!” said Harry indignantly. 

“Come on,” she said. Her hand twitched, as though she was going to grab his hand. “We won’t even talk,” 

“It’s cold out!” he said. Ginny didn’t even respond, just trotted down the stairs. 

“Merlin,” he muttered, and ran after her, against his better judgment. Ginny stopped at the broom cupboard and handed him his Firebolt, climbing on her broom and taking off. 

It was quite chilly, but he had quite an adrenaline rush. He and Ginny flew around the Burrow a few times, Harry took some dives, and they landed back in front of the Burrow.

Ginny’s face was flushed with the cold air, matching her hair. “Here,” she said, flicking her wand at Harry. “Warming Charm,”

Harry felt warmth spreading through himself. He smiled at her. “Thanks,” he said, dumbly. 

They looked at each other for a bit. Ginny stepped closer to him. “I miss talking to you,” she said. 

“I don’t think this is a good-,” She cut him off, and kissed him.

———————

“Harry? You there?” asked Charlie, waving his hand in front of him. Harry jolted out of his thoughts, the subject of which had not yet joined them for breakfast. “Can you pass the milk?”

“Sorry, I’m just a bit tired,” said Harry, looking pointedly at Ron and handing Charlie the milk. “Couldn’t sleep,”

“What are you two up to today?” asked Mrs. Weasley, putting more eggs on the table for them. “Revising?”

“Yeah, Hermione’s coming to help us,” said Ron. 

“She can just stay here, if she wants, dear, she’s here nearly every day,” said Mrs. Weasley, looking at Ron.

“She wants to be with her parents,” said Ginny, trotting down the stairs and grabbing coffee. “Probably likes sleeping in her own bed, too,” She gave Ron a devilish grin, and winked at Harry. Ron scowled at his sister. Harry felt his stomach flip, and took a large gulp of tea, pretending it didn’t burn his mouth. 

“Are you going in to the shop today, Ginny?” asked Mrs. Weasley. Ginny nodded grimly. She had been helping George at the store most days. “Is everything going okay?” George tended to leave early and come back late, Ginny was the only one who saw much of him.

“Mum, I’ve got it under control,” said Ginny, wrapping an arm around her mother and kissing her cheek. “He said he’s coming to the party tomorrow,”

“Party?” said Harry. “I thought it was just a dinner,” 

“We barely got to do anything last year, dear, for your seventeenth!” said Mrs. Weasley, beaming at him. “And I thought it would be nice to see everyone,”

Harry decided not to protest, especially not to Mrs. Weasley, who clearly wanted to throw this party. 

The door swung open and Hermione came in, looking particularly happy.

“Good morning,” she said brightly. “Nice day. Shall we go outside, then?”

———————

Revising for their Auror exams was much more difficult than Harry expected, not due to the content, but due to Hermione and Ron making him want to stick his wand down his throat every minute. 

“Right, well, we’re good on Stunning Spells, I’d say,” said Harry, working his way through the practice book. They tended to work outside when the weather was nice, so they could practice spells, and were seated on the back porch.

Ron and Hermione were not listening. They were in conversation on the other side of the porch, and Hermione was actually giggling. Hermione, giggling. Harry resisted the urge to make a gagging sound. 

“Ron, we’ve got to study, the exam’s in a month,” he reminded him. 

“You’re both in good shape,” said Hermione, barely looking up at him. Harry blinked and wondered what sort of alternate universe he had stepped into. He stood up, he needed a break. 

“I’m grabbing a book from our room, Ron,” he said. The pair did not respond. 

He climbed the stairs back up to Ron’s room, letting his mind predictably wander to Ginny again. He knew he shouldn’t do anything about it, she was going back to Hogwarts in a month, and they’d be right back to square one again. 

He jumped as a body appeared out of Fred and George’s old room. It was Ginny, holding a box.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, caught off guard. “I thought you went to Diagon Alley,”

“George wanted me to grab some things,” she said, hoisting the box up. “How’s revising?”

Harry merely jerked his head to the window, where they could peer down and see Ron and Hermione besotted with one another.

“Ah,” said Ginny, smiling at him wryly. “They’re sweet,” 

“I guess I should be happy this didn’t happen earlier,” he commented. “I thought it was bad enough when they fought,”

Ginny set the box down. Harry’s insides lurched.

“Where were you off to?” she asked.

“Had to go find a book,” he said. His palms were sweating.

“I’ll help you,” said Ginny, already halfway up the stairs. 

\------------------------------------------

“This was very nice of you, Mrs. Weasley,” said Harry, sitting on the floor playing with Teddy, as his party winded down. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a proper birthday party,” 

“Well, it’s good to celebrate, isn’t it?” she said, bending down to coo at the baby. 

“Ba-ba-ba,” said Teddy seriously.

“It’s getting late, isn’t it?” said Hermione, yawning. “Mrs. Weasley, do you mind if I spend the night? I can sleep in Ginny’s,” 

“Of course not, dear,” she said over her shoulder as she magicked the plates to the kitchen to start cleaning them. “I’ll set up the camp bed, then, in a minute,” 

“I’ll do it Mum, you’ve got enough going on,” said Ginny, rolling her eyes at Ron and Hermione. There was no intention of setting up the bed. “Need any help in the meantime?” She got up and wandered into the kitchen.

“Nearly bedtime, Teddy,” said Andromeda, scooping him up. “Happy birthday again, Harry,” she said, giving him a baby-filled hug. “We’ll see you next weekend?” 

“Of course,” said Harry, squeezing Teddy’s little hand. “Bye, Ted,” 

The party dispersed and left, and those residing in the Burrow slowly drifted off to their rooms. Ron and Hermione had disappeared. It was just him and Ginny in the kitchen again.

“Are you going upstairs?” asked Ginny. 

“Yeah, guess so,” said Harry, and they both moved to climb the stairs.

“Thanks for going along with everything today,” she said. “It was good for Mum, I think,”

“It was my best birthday yet,” said Harry, smiling at her. They had reached her bedroom door. 

“Well, goodnight,” said Ginny. “Happy birthday” 

They were clearly both remembering this day last year. Harry felt frozen to the spot. 

“Goodnight,” he said, then turned quickly and hurried up the stairs. He heard Ginny’s door shut quietly with a click. He reached the top of the staircase and paused, listening to Ron and Hermione talking in low voices through the door. He could just barge in, or - 

Harry slipped quietly back down the stairs, praying no one would hear the frequent footsteps. He was back in front of Ginny’s door. He knocked on it quickly. It opened immediately, Ginny looking at him with a knowing glint in her eye.

“Look,” he said, seriously, reaching and grabbing her hand. “I just don’t want to start anything right before you leave for school,”

“So let’s not start anything,” said Ginny, smiling.


End file.
